


Elpis

by poemygod



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Poe Dameron (Comics)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Star Wars: The Last Jedi Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-23 23:52:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13201263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poemygod/pseuds/poemygod
Summary: Contains spoilers for The Last JediAfter the Battle of Crait, the Resistance is in desperate need of a new base. Where was Black Squadron during the evacuation?The Rebellion is reborn.





	Elpis

**when tyranny becomes law**

Throughout the galaxies, superstitions surround certain numbers. Unlucky thirteen, lucky seven, three wishes, two knocks, one hope.... On Dandoran, the number four was considered unlucky, taboo, because in the local language it was a homophone with the word for death. So Jessika Pava never picked up the fourth item in the cafeteria. She went from flying Gold Five to Blue Three, refusing a place in Red Squadron that would have made her Red Four. And on the fourth day of her relationship with Poe Dameron, the fourth day after he whispered (well, more whined) against her ear that he loved her and wanted her to be his girlfriend… she held her breath, waiting for something heavy to scent the air and steal away her happiness.  

But bad luck rarely had the manners to conform to dramatic timing. The fourth day came and went, and the only bad thing that happened was Snap Wexley drunkenly serenading the crew with his rendition of "The Ice Maid of Hoth."   

She fell asleep in Poe's arms, hopeful that for once, the shadow had passed. Hope, feathered, perching thing, took flight at some point while she slept, and they awoke to alarm bells blaring. Evacuation in progress. First Order on its way. There wasn't time to strategize, not really. Black Squadron was given a mission: take the children of D’Qar and get gone. Get somewhere safe. Go to Yavin-4 and await further orders.   

Poe Dameron, Commander of the Fleet, would not be coming with them. Snap Wexley was given temporary charge of the squadron, and Jessika Pava, perhaps the best shot in the Resistance, was deprived of her X-wing and made to fly the transport. The argument had been passionate and brief.   

"I should stay and fight!"   

"I need you to keep them safe. If you stay here, you might die."     

"I am not afraid to die."   

"I am afraid to give the command that kills you. I can't lead the fleet if I'm thinking about my girl. Please....go."   

She couldn't make up her mind whether to kiss him or smack him. So.... she did neither.   

On Yavin, they received the distress call, Leia's code.... The Resistance had sustained heavy losses. Now was the time to stand, to fight. They were too far and too few to make any difference, but three X-wings took to the sky and Jessika Pava was left alone on a moon with dozens of small faces looking at her with more questions than she would ever know how to answer. She didn't know if Poe Dameron was alive or dead. She didn't know if the First Order would find them. All she knew was that she should've been with him.   

There had a been a time when he was younger when he dreamed of the fight. Flying, his only joy, the thing that kept him grounded in the strangest sense of the word. It left him breathless and full all at the same time.   

Then Jessika Pava had walked into his life and stolen all the air from the room.   

When the alarms had sounded, he had hoped beyond hope that it was a nightmare.  They weren't uncommon for him. Instinct had set in and he'd taken to his position like it was his birth-right. Sending Black Squadron away without him had been the hardest decision of his life. They were top tier and in a time when he trusted few people, his closest friends were the ones who would continue the fight if anything disastrous happened.   

And of course it had.   

Hours of fighting, hundreds of losses. His friends. His ship. He had watched it all burn at the hands of the First Order. The handful of them left after the Battle of Crait had boarded the Falcon with heavy hearts.   

"Where are we going, Commander?" Leia's face was tense as she looked up at him and he exhaled, nodding with a finality as he moved to the cockpit of the ship.   

"Set coordinates for Yavin-4. I'll get us there." He mumbled to Chewie, taking the captain's chair. "Send out communications to any ships who responded to our distress signal. Meet us there.”    

Everything on Yavin reminded her of him. It all called him instantly to mind. There was a closet full of clothing he might never wear again, toys from his childhood, memories and tokens of a life only half-lived.   

_You died on me before, Dameron._ She could not help but accuse him in her thoughts. She had lived dark days without him when they thought him lost on Jakku. When Kylo Ren took Poe from her, she felt love die inside her heart, she felt the moment of his passing...   

But now? She felt nothing. Perhaps that meant he lived. Perhaps that meant she was too tired from the effort of caring for dozens of children by herself. She slept in 20 minute increments, finding it necessary to personally check the small moon's defenses on near-hourly intervals.   

If the First Order came for the children of the Resistance, she would lose, but she would make them buy their victory in blood.   

Snap's ping reached her first, followed quickly by Kare's. They didn't know much, but the Resistance was coming. Three small X-wings blinked into her sky, followed by a shape she knew from her childhood. Where had they found that ship? And where were the rest?   

Once in the atmosphere, he'd left the piloting to the scavenger girl and Chewie. The ship would practically land itself. Looking out the front, he could see the X-wings moving to land and the small house on the ground.   

"Alright guys. We're coming in and it's all hands on deck." The eyes of the remaining members of the Resistance were on him and he could see the worry that lingered there. This was the man who had led half the fleet to their deaths, staged a mutiny against the Vice Admiral, and taken the risk of running the small group into the ground. Of course there was worry, but right now he needed to prove that those mistakes didn't define him.   

He'd flown too close to the sun and been burned.   

Now the healing needed to begin.   

"Once we're on the ground, check on our crew that made it out. I'm going to need a few grounds troops to make their way with me to some of the old temples. There's a base hidden here we might be able to use." The slowing of the ship was enough of an indication they were almost on the ground and he smiled, moving towards one of the back compartments as they landed. "I'm going to check on this ship’s fuel supplies and see if there's anything hidden in the smuggling hatches. Let's move people."   

The second Snap was out of his X-wing, Jess had thrown herself at her surrogate brother in a flurry of emotional confusion. "Did you have any contact with the Falcon? Where are the rest of the ships? Have you heard from Poe? Where is he? Where is the General? How are we..." The questions fell rapid fire from her lips, and each one hit its target on his heart. Snap wrapped his arms protectively around her, trying to force her to breathe as he shook his head. He didn't know any more than she did, and both of them turned their eyes toward the ship of legend, wondering what they might see when the doors opened.   

People began to exit, friends, loved ones, but fewer.... far fewer than expected. This was not a Fleet, it was a handful of fighters. Most of the children they had saved would be orphans now if this was all that remained... Jess looked up at the sky desperate to see another transport, the bombers, the X-wings, something, anything.... but the sky was so blue, and she could stare until her vision blurred, and nothing appeared except dots induced by the panicked beating of her heart.   

She ran toward the first person that she recognized. "Where are the others?"   

"We're it. We're the only survivors."   

"The other ships?"   

"Gone."   

"Black one..."   

"Destroyed."   

Barely breathing, eyes already dark with unshed tears, she grabbed the well meaning stranger by the lapels of their coat, and shook the survivor with rapid force. "Poe. Tell me now. Where is Commander Dameron!?!"     

Pulling up every compartment, the frown on his face grew with each one. Junk. Hunks of parts and pieces of ships that would do nothing for them. The last one... Opening it, he reached in, pulling out a busted compressor and his heart sank. The tension in his chest snapped and he let out an angry yell, tossing the hunk of  metal at one of the walls.   

A flurry of motion caught his eyes as a small bird popped it's head out of one of the panels and Poe watched it in wonder. Sinking to the floor, he held his head in his hands for a moment, legs tented as he let out a shaky breath.   

They were injured, hurting for supplies, and when they'd called out for help? No one had come. The galaxy was so suppressed by the First Order they couldn't even put on the brave front to try and help the only people fighting for freedom. All their ships were gone. With no supplies or ammunition, they would only last a week, tops.   

He dreaded to think what would happen if the First Order found them...   

Rubbing his hands over his hair, he pushed himself up and made his way back towards the main cabin, finding it empty. Another fluffy bird strutted past him and he lift a brow, watching it walk to the cockpit before shrugging and making his way towards the ramp.   

The sunlight streaming in was too bright, but the smell...   

It sent a peace through his soul. D'Qar had been where he lived for so long and when he was in the Republic, he'd jumped from base to base. This was different.   

This was home.   

Inhaling slowly, he moved down the ramp, only to be stopped by Lieutenant Connix. "Sir, we've not gotten any other transmissions. Looks like this is it." Her face was grave, stress lines already forming at the corner of her mouth. Nodding, he reached for the holo she was holding out to him and let out a sigh of almost relief as his boots hit grass.   

"We'll set up communications in the garage. There's probably some equipment we can use. Where are the rest of Black Squadron? Lieutenant Pava?"   

Connix turned, pointing towards where the small group of people was lingering near the X-wings. A group of children and the remaining survivors. Nodding, he patted the young Lieutenants shoulder and walked over, sliding the holo pad into his jacket.   

It wasn't hard to spot Snap, he basically towered over everyone. Poe frowned at the raised voices, jogging as he got closer to see the squad leader pulling Jess back away from a terrified looking officer.   

"Hey hey! What's going on here?! No fighting!" He yelled, shouldering his way through the other members of the Resistance and coming to a stop in front of her and Snap. "Jess? Are you okay? What are you doing?" There was worry in his voice, brow furrowed as he reached for her and took a step closer.   

Jess squirmed and kicked as Snap wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her back from the startled officer. Her feet sought purchase against his shins, and her elbows flew back to try and land against his sides. He was taller than her, and much stronger, his arms wrapped around her as he bear hugged her back toward his chest.   

"Pava, you've got to calm down," Wexley barked against her ear.   

"He left me again, he left me..." Jess sobbed, still trying to break away and run. It was his voice that broke through the haze of grief and fear, she couldn’t see him through all the tears that filled her eyes.   

"Poe!" Jess gasped his name, nails clawing at Snap’s arm, inducing him to finally release her. His words made no sense, and something snapped inside her. Fingers curling into a fist, and without thought, that fist flew forward, clocking him right in the jaw.   

The stream of expletives that left her mouth was all Dandorian, words that would make a mercenary blush. “You….let me….think...you’d...died...again!” she finally managed to stammer in broken Basic, before turning on her heel and stomping back toward the house.   

He'd been ready for her to run into his arms, to talk to him. The punch sent him sprawling back on his backside, hand coming up to clutch at his jaw as he groaned and pushed himself up onto his elbows. Staring up at her, his brow furrowed deeply as she stomped away and his eyes wandered over to Snap who was shaking his head.   

"You'll never learn..." He mumbled, rolling his shoulders back and rubbing at where Jess had hit him.   

"Get the others and meet in the workshop. I'm gonna go... Yeah.." Scrambling to his feet, Poe winced at the pain that blossomed in his jaw, but hurried after her.   

"HEY!" Poe screamed, catching up to her easily and grabbing her by the hand. Pulling her back hard, he caught her around the waist and stared down at her. "I'm sorry, okay! I went to see if there was anything on the Falcon..." He stopped, biting his lip and reaching his hands up to cup her face, pressing a sudden kiss to her lips and pulling her into him.    

Her fists pounded lightly against his chest, and she squirmed for half a second. But as his lips claimed hers, she slowly melted into him, feeling some of the pain and tension ease from her body. Salt water tears spilled down her cheeks, wetting them both, and she hiccuped into the kiss, as her slender frame started to shake.   

"So many people are dead, Poe," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his  neck. "And you could've been one of them. I thought you were one of them. I can’t... I can’t bury you again."   

Leaning back, he rest his forehead against hers and let out a breath. His hands ran over her arms and up to her face again, swiping at the tears falling down her cheeks with his thumbs. They'd lost so much already...   

"You would have known, Jess... You always know." He mumbled, tilting her chin up and settling back enough that he could look down into her dark eyes. "I'm okay though. I'm here. We've got so much work to do... This is it."   

Frowning, he looked out of his childhood home at the group that was slowly making their way towards the garage and workshop. "We're all that's left." Hands moving to her waist, he pulled her into him as his broad palm slipped over the small of her back and rest there.   

"I need you. We've got so much work to do, Jess. I'm just happy you were safe. I can't..." Poe stopped, swallowing slowly as everything that had happened began to catch up with him.   

"Losing you would have killed me."   

"I should've been there," Jess sighed, uncertain that she wanted to have a new version of this fight. "I could have done... something. I could have helped...."   

She tilted her head back to look up at him. "I'm the best shot in the Fleet. Don't give me that look, I know you hate admitting anyone is better than you at anything, but we both know it's true... I could have done.... something. One good shot, and maybe.... sometimes that can make the difference." She frowned, and looked down, grief threading through her, threatening her foundations.   

"I'm glad you made it out. If I lost you....I don't know if there would be anything left worth fighting for," she sighed and leaned against him, pressing her cheek to his chest. 

Holding her in close to him, he closed his eyes and tried to will away the images that flashed in his mind. "No, Jess. I know you're the best, but it wasn't about skill this time. We were out gunned, out manned. There was no way we would have walked away from that fight."   

Smoothing his hand over her back, he exhaled slowly, exhaustion settling in his shoulders like a lead blanket. "They tracked us through hyperspace. So much happened... I have so much to tell you." He breathed, burying his nose in her hair and holding her in even tighter.   

She could feel the tension rolling off him like steam rising from a kettle. But rather than pull away, she embraced him, letting some of his hurt settle on her heart, in hopes that she could lift the pain. She brushed a kiss lightly against his jaw.     

"And you will tell me. Later. Right now, I'm going to get some food in you, and put you to sleep. Snap can take care of everyone else for a little while. Let me take care of you."   

With a slow nod, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tight to him. With everything falling down around him, Jess would always anchor him, giving him the strength to go on. She was his light, his hope.   

In the dark of night, she led him home.  
  


**rebellion becomes duty**

**Author's Note:**

> This was cowritten with my RP partner who writes as Jessika Pava. We collaborated on this piece.


End file.
